Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, yes He is good. All of us have a multitude of things to say thanks for, so get in your best praise mode and give Him thanks right now.
Today’s Prayer
Father, So many people I know or hear of need prayer for special reasons. Many people are on the prayer list at church. Others ask for prayer through e-mail. I pray for ALL these needs right now. I pray that I will always remember special prayer requests and bring them before You. When anyone asks me for prayer, please bring that person and their prayer need to mind so that I will continue to pray for them as long as there is a special need. Never let me be one who says, “I’ll pray for you,” then not do it. Prayer is so powerful. I know that prayer pleases You, and that You honor the fervent prayers of the righteous in Christ. You, Lord, keep Your promises. I want to always keep my promises to pray. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayers. Thank You for the relationship we have in the Spirit. May I grow closer to You in my prayer life and Christian walk every day. I praise You Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let’s eat.
Following the Father’s Commands
Jesus gave them this answer:“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” – John 5:19
Have you ever thought about a typical day in Jesus’ life? Perhaps He might have had questions like these, “Who am I going to heal today? Who will I visit today? Which person will I deliver from demons this day?” The demands on Jesus’ time were great. Yet we see that He allocated His time very deliberately. We don’t get the idea that He was flustered or stressed from the activity He was involved in. He often sought times of prayer and reflection away from the disciples. His life appeared to have a balance of quiet moments and active ministry into the lives He came in contact with.
Here’s a question for you; how do we determine what we will be involved in each day of our lives? What keeps us in sync with the will of our heavenly Father for the daily tasks He calls us to? Jesus tells us that He was only involved in those things the Father was involved in, Nothing more, nothing less. So often we determine our participation in an activity based on whether we have the time to do it or whether we desire to participate. The real question we should ask is, “Does the Father want me to participate in this activity?”
“Lord, should I add this Bible study to my schedule? Should I spend an extra night out on this committee this week? Should I take on new business that will take me away from home more?” These are the daily challenges for the world we now live in. We are an activity-based society that often encourages more and more activity, often in the name of Christian virtue.
Our lives will become less cluttered, less stressful, and more fulfilling when we follow the model Jesus provided. It may not always please everyone. Jesus never sought to please everyone. Ask the Lord each day this week how you and He are to spend your time. Yield your schedule to Him. Let Him direct your every activity. You may discover that He desires you to cut back some things in order to spend more time alone with Him. He will be faithful to show you. And you will become more fulfilled because you are centered in His will for you.
Quote of the Day
When we learn to say a deep, passionate yes to the things that really matter… then peace begins to settle onto our lives like golden sunlight sifting to a forest floor.
Thomas Kinkade
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REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION – THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY
James H. Taylor Sr. – Kankakee City News has published my Daily meal message for a decade.